


Welcome To The Family

by ready_to_kick_some_ass



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: 12 Days of Fic Mas 2016, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Mistletoe, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 15:57:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8898238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ready_to_kick_some_ass/pseuds/ready_to_kick_some_ass
Summary: John and Sherlock visit Sherlock's parents on Christmas - as a couple, finally.





	

Everything was different this year.

So different that, to John, it almost seemed surreal.  
The discussions. The glances. The atmosphere in the whole house.  
Everything different. In a pleasant, right way.

  
Sherlock’s mother had pulled him into a hug as soon as the door had opened.  
A year before, she had just shaken his hand. His, and Mary’s. It had been very formal.  
But this time, it seemed to John that she would officially welcome him to the family. He was suddenly warm, and as Sherlock’s father gave him a big smile, he felt even warmer.  
“John, we are so glad you came!”

“Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Holmes, I …”

“Violet, please, I will not let my future son-in-law call me by my surname! Come in, come in, you must be half frozen - Sherlock don’t make this face he’s just your brother, not a criminal master-mind! ”

“Well, are you sure about that mother?”

“Oh will you stop this nonsense, son …”

During this flood of words, John was somehow pulled into the warm house and he could not believe how welcome he suddenly felt …

 

*

 

The food was good and plentiful.

Of course, Sherlock and Mycroft did not refraim from mocking each other over the Christmas holidays. But these controversies seemed to be as innocent and boyish as they had been for a long time.  
Of course, Mary came up. Violet Holmes, curious and brisk, asked John how she was doing and where she was.  
He had no idea, John answered truthfully. Violet did not investigate further.  
The attention turned to Mycroft, who complained about the fact that, certainly, countless criminals took advantage of the fact that everyone had to celebrate Christmas.

John listened with half an ear, a little lost in his own thoughts.

The Christmas festivities from his youth came to his mind.  
They were not very fun and warm. Not like this one.  
Usually, his mother had decorated a small, miserable tree with a little cheap tinsel.  
Often, his drunken father had knocked down the tree and called Christmas an idiotic festival for “better people”.  
Usually there were tears instead of laughter.  
And not always gifts.  
But when his father had grown too bad, his mother had gone out with him and Harry, and bought them a little something in the shop. Sweets mostly. And that was the most beautiful moment of their whole Christmas.

John swallowed.  
He asked himself where Harry would be right now … 

Sherlock must have noticed that his mood had changed, because suddenly, he took John’s hand under the table. “All right?” He asked softly.

John nodded. “Yes. I … I somehow came to think of my childhood. Of my family. What Christmas used to be like.”

Sherlock looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. Then he nodded. “It’s over, John. The past will not repeat itself. And there are a lot of Christmases ahead of us.”

John had to smile at these words. He squeezed Sherlock’s hand. “I know. Thank you, Sherlock. ”

At the other end of the table, Violet Holmes slapped Mycroft with a potholder, and when everyone laughed, John joined in.

 

*

 

When the meal ended some time later, John stood up to go to the bathroom.  
When he came back, he met Sherlock in the hallway. He stood directly under the mistletoe, which somebody had hung from the ceiling.  
John smiled.  
“Is this intentional?”

Sherlock’s mouth twitched. “Maybe. How are you?”

“Good,” John replied, and he meant it.

Sherlock nodded.

For a moment they looked into each other’s eyes. A silent conversation, as they often did. For some things, no words were needed.

“You belong in this family now,” Sherlock said softly. “You really do.”

“I know,” John replied gravely. “Thank you.”

“So, do you want to follow this dull tradition now,” Sherlock asked with a raised eyebrow. But John knew he did not mean it like it sounded.

“Definitely,” he said, pulling Sherlock closer.

And when his lips touched Sherlock’s, slowly and softly, there was nothing in him but warmth and fulfillment. Love.

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this for 12 days of fic mas 2016!  
> Corrected by [bakerstreet-irregular](http://bakerstreet-irregular.tumblr.com/).  
> Visit me on [Tumblr](http://currently-in-my-mind-palace.tumblr.com/) for more! :)


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